Shoe-fastening means



'Np. 751,220. PATENTE'D P33231904 PQB. TERRY & P. B. BROTHERS.

SHOE FASTENING MEANS.-

APPLICATION rmm sum. z. 1003.

no MODEL.

WITNESSES: d6 [NVENTORJ Fred fl. 7Z2rr Perl E67 0 lure".

. .BY 104". 4 i f" m: Nonms PETERS 00., PHorq-LWHQ. wAsHmuTcm u. c.

. Patented February 2, 1904.

UNITED STATEs PATENT OFFICE.

FRED'B. TERRY AND PERL; E.- oRoTH-ERs, or GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN.

SHOE-FASTENING MEANS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 751,220, dated February 2, 1904. Application filed SeptemherZ, 1903. Serial No. 171,643. (No model.)

To all u zhom, it may cancer-1'1:

Be it known that we, FRED B. TERRY and PERL E. CRoTHERs, residing at Grand Rapids,

in the county of Kent and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shoe-Fastening Means, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to the class of shoefastening means, and it more particularly seeks to provide a shoe-fastening device of this character of a simple, economical, and effectively operable construction which will readily and quickly serve its intended purposes; and the invention in its generic nature consists of a series of clips adapted to be attached to the ordinary type of shoe, a supplemental strip for closing the opening between the opposing edges of the shoe-upper, and which are so constructed as to prevent more than a minimum amount of wear on the shoestrings.

With other objects in view, which will hereinafter be apparent, the invention consists in certain novel construction and arrangement of parts, all of which will be first described in detail and then specifically pointed outin the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of our invention as applied for use. Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of a portion of the shoe with our invention applied. Fig. 3 is a cross-section thereof, taken practically on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of a portion of a shoe with our invention applied. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of one of the fasteners detached.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals and letters of reference indicate like parts in all the figures, A designates a shoe-which has the usual upper open in front, as at a, as shown in Fig. 1. Our invention, designated generally by 1, is applied to the open front portion a of the upper a in place of the ordinary eyelets or hooks now in common use; and the invention consists in the U-shaped metal clip having circular and enlarged ears 1, apertured, as at 1*, through which apertures and the shoe-upper a the fasteners 2 are adapted to pass, and the said fasteners may be in the nature of rivets, eyelets, &c., as may be found desirable. The clip 1 is fastened to the shoe, with one side of the clip on each side of the strip a in such manner as to leave an eye 1, through which the usual cord C is adapted to be strung. (See Figs. 1, 2, 3.)

' The edges a of the strip 0 by reason of the eyelets 1 projecting over the edge, will not meet, as shown in Fig. 2, and to close the said opening thus produced the inner strips a a of the shoe are made to overlap the edges a of the strips a so that their edges a a will meet to close the opening in the front of the shoe-upper. The usual tongue T is provided (see Fig. 3) to serve its usual purpose.

From the foregoing it will be seen that we provide a simple and effective means for closing the front opening of shoes and one which will operate with a minimum wear on the string, and the operation of our invention will be readily understood by those skilled in the art to which it appertains.

To remove the shoe from the foot of the wearer, it is only necessary to spread the upper ends of the front opening, when the foot may be withdrawn without unlacing the shoe.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it is thought the complete operation and advantages of our invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art to which it appertains, and we desire it also understoodv that slight changes and modification may be made in the detail arrangement of parts without departing'from the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim, and desire to secure by Letters'Patlap over the edge of the upper and the clips, to form closure members, and a tongue with- 10 to form closure members, for the purposes in the shoe adapted to lap over the said inner speciiied. 1 i 1 b strips for the purposes specified.

2. n a s 1oe- 'astening means, i316 com ina- 1 tion with the shoe-upper and metallic clips, having enlarged apertured ears and adapted to fit over the edge of the shoe-upper and to Witnesses: be fastened thereto, of inner strips adapted to V. PEEBLEs, lap over the edge of the upper and the clips, GEO. JONES. 

